Daily Slideshow: Check Out Aimgain's Radical Supercharged IS250C
The bippu scene in Japan has truly evolved since the 70s. By blending luxury with aggressive styling, builders have become more creative when it comes to VIP cars, including Aimgain, which is breaking the mold and pushing the boundaries.
Supercharged Lexus IS250C
This Supercharged LEXUS IS250C, custom built by Aimgain Japan is reminiscent of the touring cars from the Super GT race series in Japan. This wide body Lexus with aggressive stance and styling that includes the GT wing feels like it was built for racing, but it was really built as an Aimgain demo car back in 2013. Based out of Hiroshima, Japan, Aimgain is known as one of the largest brands in the bippu (or VIP style) scene. In over more than 15 years, they have been designing and manufacturing VIP parts, from aero kits, interior accessories, aluminum wheels, and suspension options, to exhaust and performance upgrades.
Going in VIP style
VIP, which roughly translates into Japanese as bippu, refers to the modification of Japanese luxury automobiles to make them lower in stance and wider looking with wide aggressive wheels, suspension, and body kits. VIP Style cars are typically large, expensive, rear-wheel drive sedans, although some auto enthusiasts prefer to turn their minivans and Kei cars into VIP vehicles. VIP style modifications were at one time linked to the yakuza (transnational organized crime syndicates originating in Japan), whose members would use JDM cars with VIP modifications in order to avoid detection by the police and rival gangs.
Osaka street racers and Kanto area Bōsōzoku
Both Osaka street racers and Kanto area Bōsōzoku (motorcycle and moped gangs in Japan) adopted styles in different ways. After enduring numerous police crackdowns on the Hanshin Expressway in the early 1990s, Osaka street racers began to favor sedans over the sport compacts that the police were targeting. This way they could cruise the streets while remaining incognito. Kanto area Bōsōzoku gangs took the opposite approach and make their presence known by modifying sedans with cut coils and mufflers that were bold and loud and known as "Yankee Style." Their styling cues were actually taken from the Super Silhouette race cars of the 1970s and 1980s. They also drove recklessly, causing traffic jams and avoiding paying tolls. To mimic their yakuza counterparts, they drove large black sedans.
Common VIP mods
Cars modified in the VIP style share similar characteristics, such as high-end wheels with excessive broad-faced designs and low offsets that sit flush with the fender, exhausts that stick out past the rear bumper, a full body or lip kit, glossy paint and a lowered ride height. It is not uncommon to see extremely negative camber (which improves grip and cornering) on many VIP style cars. VIP style cars which are traditionally painted black, white, grey, or silver, are regarded in Japan as conspicuous and attention-seeking, and owning one will cost you a fairly high annual road tax.
Aimgain's VIP Sport/Tuning style
Aimgain labels this body kit appropriately as VIP Sport/Tuning Style. Designed for the Lexus IS convertible, it’s a modern take on the VIP style. Gone are the bulky designs inspired by the 80’s silhouette race cars. Its sleek design takes inspiration from European luxury models and current GT race cars. Both front and rear fenders were widened to accommodate big boy 20” Aimgain GIIIS wheels. The front end’s sport vertical fin-like ducts widen the car by 50 mm per side. The front and rear bumpers continue the design with side vents of their own.
It's all in the detail
The matte white finish combined with the carbon fiber wrapping on the roof and rear fenders adds to the sporty look while playing into current trends. Even the Aimgain loop muffler type E is carbon wrapped. The attention to detail is extensive and the green vinyl striping highlights the modified body lines of the car.
And then came the HKS Supercharger
If the styling wasn’t imposing enough, the performance was made to match by installing an HKS supercharger, allows the engine to take in more air and fuel than what it’s capable of doing on its own, which is known as boost. That translates into a lot more horsepower and some really amazing exhaust notes.
Breaking the mold
The bippu scene in Japan has truly evolved since the 70s. By blending luxury with aggressive styling, more builders have become more creative when it comes to VIP car, mash up bumpers, wider fender modifications, and bolder color choices that were not part of the scene forty years ago. If aggression is a powerful tool in evolving culture, Japanese builders are on the right track, breaking the mold and inspiring us to keep moving forward.
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